1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a computer implemented method for managing data processing systems. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for storing messages in a directory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Software applications generate informative messages as they execute in a data processing system. A message is textual information that may include alphanumeric text, special characters, and symbols. Data processing system hardware also generate similar messages during their operation. These messages may inform a user about conditions in the hardware or software environment. The messages may also alert a user about events that may require the user's attention. An event is the occurrence of a specific condition in the hardware or software environment. An event may be intended or unintended and may generate one or more messages.
Users, such as system administrators, often receive these messages in text form. Often, the text of the messages is also saved in a log file so that a user may access the messages in the future. Generally, these log files are flat files. A log file can grow in size during the course of operation of the hardware and software that write the messages in the log file. As a result, the log file can include several messages from several sources, mixed together in the chronological order in which the messages were generated.
Certain hardware and software may also use the messages written by other hardware and software. For example, a document editor software application may receive a message posted by a network interface card that the network link is non-operational. The software application may use this message, such as to display a warning to the user that the document may not be saved over the network.
In addition several data processing environments have multiple hardware and software systems logging messages to different log files. In such data processing environments, a user or application may have to access several files to retrieve the messages contained in each of those files. The user or application may then have to combine the messages retrieved from the various files, such as in a chronological order, usually manually, to understand the complete context of the messages.
Furthermore, the hardware and software that log the messages, log them in a predetermined language. For example, the messages are often logged in English. Occasionally, the messages may appear in alternate languages in the log files. In those cases, the hardware and software generating those messages are programmed to generate the messages in the alternate language.